Liverpool vs. Manchester United: What the Reds Lack That the Champions Have?

Forget Liverpool vs. Manchester United in terms of squad depth, quality of players or statistics. We are talking about what the difference is between the two sides on the pitch rather than on paper. 

Liverpool lost a game at home 1-2 that they dominated and gave the opposition a mere two chances. Manchester United struck three goals away from home in a game they chased shadows for much of it.

The hallmark of champions, and champions elect one may say.

Arsenal did something of a similar nature against the Reds in the weekend gone by, but they have repeated this feat very sporadically to term it as one of their habits. Manchester United on the other hand seem to do it on a very regular basis. Like they somehow are owed wins like these. Such is the belief in the players that they will win any given match.

Make no mistake about it.

It was a very talented Tottenham side that the Red Devils dispatched this Saturday with utmost ease. The nature of the United's victory would have deflated Spurs just as it did to the Reds the day before after Robin Van Persie's two goals. Similarly, United would have taken a lot of belief and added audacity to their already nonchalant winning attitude.

So what is the difference, the mantra, the secret ingredient if you may—that makes Manchester United so much apart from Liverpool. Let us take a look at three main ones from a long list:

1) Set Pieces: Manchester United have always been good at scoring goals from set-pieces whether the given set-piece was fair or not. Their habit of scoring so frequently from dead ball situations actually gives rise to controversy.

The referee is human and gives undeserved corners and free-kicks to every team. When a team scores from it—it creates controversy, which will occur if that team is Manchester United—regular scorers from set-pieces. Liverpool on the other hand force an enormous number of corners. In fact, the Reds must be holding the dubious distinction of maximum failure to convert from dead balls. I

ronical, when you consider that they have Charlie Adam, whose corners alone were worth 10 million pounds last season.

2) Finishing: Looking through the last few years, Manchester United have always had good clinical strikers and goal scorers.

From Ruud Van Nistelrooy to Cristiano Ronaldo and even Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, United have never had dearth of prolific scorers. Remember last season when they were finding it difficult, who stepped up—another goal getter in Chicharito.

Against Tottenham on Sunday also, they were clinical or they would have dropped points. Liverpool on the other hand need a barn yard to aim the ball at. Martin Kelly may need two of those big wooden doors in fact. The Reds cannot score from the penalty spot even and somebody please place a goal in space to get Charlie Adam to score.

Football is a simple game.

The team that scores goals, more of them, will win. Liverpool are just not getting the goals part in the otherwise very decent play and performance.

3) The winning habit: It is hard to say that Liverpool players should develop a winning habit like those of United players. The Red Devils have won many more trophies in the recent past and are making every bit of that experience count.

The type of mentality ingrained in United players is achieved through success and consistently winning the long race—the league title rather than bursting through short sprints—knockout competitions.

Liverpool cannot seem to get a run going in the league. The reason for that is that they have lost the audacity that the Reds of the eighties might have had.

The Carling Cup is certainly a start, but until Liverpool can scrap a League Title out of somewhere, they will constantly find it hard to finish in the top-four—now that the league has got so much tougher.

Remember, the first title is always the hardest to win.

Thanks for reading.